World Footy News

This year is the first year a joint European women’s team has appeared at the Euro Cup and is undoubtedly a sign that the women’s game is spreading beyond Ireland, Italy and Switzerland. The players come from across the UK, France and Spain with other women from Italy, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia registering their interest but unable to make it to Edinburgh.

The team is as follows:

Hazel Stevenson (Scotland) Stacy Hughes (Scotland)
Kirsty Grey (Scotland) Nicky Thompson (Scotland)
Eileen Miles (Scotland) Vanessa Temple (England)
Sophie Morris (England) Berengere Portal (France)
Gazelle Hazimeh (France) Rebecca Sigieur (France)
Sabrina St Claire (Spain) Hayley Sadler (Australia)

There is a range of experience from girls who’ve played in Australia’s top women’s leagues whilst travelling, to newcomers who’ve recently started playing the game in their own country. It’s also fantastic that so many women from Scotland, the competition’s host country, were able to join the team and there is a real hope that the Scottish women will be able to field their own side from next year.

The joint team has four main aims:

• As well as putting up a fair fight against the Irish, currently European #1, to do better than their predecessors, the Italian and Swiss women’s teams, both of whom were unable to field a team in this year’s Euro Cup.

• For everyone to get as much experience as possible from the game and the weekend as a whole, as many female players train with men’s teams and rarely get the opportunity for match experience or to play against other women.

• To inspire women playing the game across Europe to want to get involved in the game and actively recruit other women to play, with the aim being the formation of women’s teams and ultimately women’s leagues in those countries.

• To raise the awareness around the other European teams that women across Europe play the game, and hopefully open the doors for more support from the existing Australian Football network and more opportunities for women to train and play at local and country level.

The European Crusaders women’s team will play the Irish Banshees at 12:00 during the break from the men’s games. Please show your support for the development of the women’s game in Europe by coming to watch the game and cheering us on.

The team would also like to thank AFL Europe for all their help and support in making this idea into a reality, and for their enthusiasm for growing the women’s game across Europe.